1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an animal litter at least a portion of which has been contacted with an antimicrobially-effective amount of pine oil combined with an effective amount of boric acid, or a boron-containing material having an equivalent boron level.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Because of the growing number of domestic animals used as house pets, there is a need for litters so that animals may micturate, void or otherwise eliminate liquid or solid waste indoors in a controlled location. However, inevitably, waste build-up leads to malodor production.
Pine oil has been suggested in the prior art as a fragrance only, for application to a litter. For example, Frazier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,704, discloses the impregnation of an inorganic carrier vehicle, such as silica gel or mullite. Also, Colborn, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,231 (of common assignment) discloses the microencapsulation of fragrances, including pine oil, via a polymeric slurry, which is then sprayed onto a portion of litter particles, and dried.
Miller et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,625, disclose a litter which is "activated" by heating and then contacted with an odor control agent, such as pine oil, citrus oil, camphor or the like.
Still further, it has been suggested that a borax/boric acid mixture at a pH of 4-4.5 could be added to a cellulose litter containing a pheromone. (Christianson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,873). Yet further, in Ratcliff et al., commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/208,953, filed Jun. 17, 1988 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,672, an odor control animal litter has been disclosed and has claimed a clay-based, particulate substrate to which has been applied a liquid carrier containing a boron-containing material at a critical level of at least 0.06% equivalent boron.
However, the art does not disclose, teach, suggest or recognize the combination of pine oil and boric acid as a dual odor controlling system when applied to animal litters. Finally, the art has not taught, disclosed or suggested that either or both of these odor controlling materials can be used in conjunction with aluminum salts for effective ammonia control.